7 Years
by xdatenshibluex
Summary: "I never stopped loving you, you know." "You... You loved me?" A story of Shikamaru Nara, Neji Hyuga, and how, after seven years, they still don't quite have this troublesome concept known as love figured out.


**a/n: A ShikaNeji story has been a long time coming. I came up with this idea a few years ago. My power was out and I wrote the timeline in the light of a candle. I just recently uncovered it again so here it is! This story will become nsfw in later chapters so please be aware of that. Without further ado, here is chapter 1 of 7 years! Let me know what you think!**

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The trek to Kirigakure could be a treacherous one. The land was clouded in a heavy fog and was hard to spot by people unused to the surroundings. Seeing as such, Tsunade had sent two of her top chunin on the journey to deliver a message, sealed away in a scroll. The contents of which was unknown to the two shinobi, but it most of been of great important for they were instructed to complete the mission as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

Neji Hyuga and Shikamaru Nara had just arrived to the foreign village.

Upon arriving, the two took in the sights. Neither of them had ever been here before. The place wasn't much to look at, to be quite honest. Just a mass of cylindrical buildings with plants growing up the sides and on the roofs. The place smelled heavy of nature; vegetation and rain. It was almost nice, in a way- soothing. Except...

"This is quite the place, huh?" Shikamaru mused, hands in his pockets as they walked the streets, dodging civilians.

"The mist is almost suffocating." Neji commented, so they made their way a little faster to get this done and over with.

As they entered the Kage's office after being lead there by a village representative, they took note of the peaceful aura of the room. The Kage, Mei Terumī, swiveled around in her channel and laid eyes on them. Both boys bowed before her, addressing her formally.

"No need for such formalities, boys." she smiled cheerfully. She eyed the scroll in Shikamaru's hand and motioned for him to step forward. He did so and handed it to her carefully before stepping back.

"Thank you very much. Your mission is complete."

Both teens bowed once more.

"Thank you, Lady Mei. Excuse us."

They hightailed it out of there but once they made it a ways out of the village it appeared a storm was brewing just over their heads.

"We should set up camp." Neji said, catching a raindrop in his palm.

"Agreed." Shikamaru said, tilting his head up. "At least that's over. It was a pain."

Neji chuckled, "As unmotivated as ever."

"You can't say that walking all this way for one scroll wasn't a total drag." Shikamaru complained, pointing to a place they could set up their tent. Neji nodded and followed him, all the while saying, "True. It was bothersome. But like you said, at least it's over now."

They set up their tent as the rain poured down and they crawled in soaking wet. Luckily they were well prepared and had obviously packed spare clothes to bring along with them.

Shikamaru released his hair from it's ponytail, wringing it out with a huff. Neji let loose the small bit of hair that was tied up before tying up all of his hair to get it out of the way. They began stripping down and Shikamaru couldn't control his wandering eye.

Neji was built like a god, chiseled and perfect. His skin was smooth and pale and built and Shikamaru, who had recently reached the conclusion that he was interested in men through hard self examination and a long talk with his best friend, was enjoying the view much more than he knew he should have been. This was Neji. Neji would never go for a man, let alone him. Neji was diligent, a hard worker, and Shikamaru was, well, lazy and, as Neji had said earlier, unmotivated. These things were true.

And Shikamaru wasn't necessarily looking for a relationship right now himself anyway. He wasn't too terribly interested in falling in love.

He had shit to do.

Though as Neji was shirtless and on his knees digging through has bag, Shikamaru couldn't help but to contemplate possibilities. He still had hormones, after all, despite being, well,... him. This has him contemplating how Neji dealt with his. As he pulled a fresh shirt over his head he imagined something he definitely should not have been; Neji *ahem* taking care of the hormones the Nara knew he had but clearly suppressed oh so well. He laid out his sleeping bag and got under it quickly to hide the growing problem between his legs. He heard Neji chuckle and he worried he had been caught. But no. Neji asked,

"You're going to sleep so soon? It's not even sundown yet."

Shikamaru laughed lightly and laid on his back with his hands behind his head and he stared up at the roof of the tent.

"Just getting comfortable."

But this was hard to achieve when the Hyuga prodigy had yet to put a shirt on. He was still digging through his bag.

"Here, let me help." Shikamaru said, earning a look he couldn't quite place from the other male. He took the bag and dumped all of it's contents out onto the floor if the tent. Neji blinked as he looked down at the mess, his expression going slack and slightly irritated.

"Thanks."

"Welcome." Shika smirked, laying back down and getting comfy again.

Neji found his shirt and pulled it over his head, stretching as he did so. Shikamaru tried not to watch but he failed. He had always found Neji attractive; a jerk, but attractive. It was odd to be alone with him.

"It's strange." Neji said, setting out his own sleeping bag.

Shikamaru rolled onto his side and held his head up with the palm of his hand.

"What is?" he asked, concerned by the fact that it currently felt like Neji could read his mind.

"To be on a mission without my teammates. I haven't been out of the village without at least one of them in quite some time." Neji explained, tightening his ponytail.

Shikamaru hummed in acknowledgement and said, "I know what you mean."

As Neji was putting his things back into his bag, Shika caught eye of something surprising.

"You carry a picture of your team around with you?"

Neji visibly tensed, answering, "It's sort of a... good luck charm, I suppose."

Smiling, Shikamaru resisted the urge to say how sweet that was as to not upset of offend the prodigy. But really, it was, dare he think it, adorable.

"So Lee and you are still rivals, huh?"

"You could call it that."

"What is Tenten to you?"

Neji turned his head to look at him, a hard look on his face that Shikamaru couldn't decide it be deep concentration or the urge to kick his ass. Regardless, Neji answered with a sigh.

"She's my closest friend."

"There's a rumor going around that you two are a thing." Shikamaru tried not to frown as he said this. Of course, the rumor was spread by that idiot Naruto so no one really believed it, but hearing Neji say she was his most special person, well, it kinda sucked. And what Neji said next _really_ sucked.

"I'm not surprised people think that." he chuckled, putting the picture away.

Shikamaru exhaled, laying back down on his back. Why was he so disappointed? He and Neji had no shot, no chance in hell. Why did he feel... hurt?

"Same question, if we're playing this game." Neji said cooly. "What is Ino to you?"

Shikamaru almost laughed.

"A pain in my ass."

Neji _did_ laugh. A laugh Shika had never heard come out of him. Something the Nara wasn't even sure he could do.

"There's also a rumor going around that you and Ino are a pair."

Shikamaru scoffed, "And who started that? Naruto, I'm guessing?"

Neji shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips, "Who knows? Probably."

"I don't have time for love." Shikamaru sighed.

"Really? With all the time on your hands, you don't have time for love?"

"Are you saying you do?"

Shikamaru did _not_ need to be getting his hopes up, but...

"I'm not actively looking, but if it were to come, I wouldn't be opposed." Neji shrugged.

"Why not Tenten?"

"We're too close. I would never want to ruin our friendship. Besides, I'm..." Neji paused and Shikamaru could swear he saw a light blush arise. "I'm more interested in men at the moment."

"Glad I'm not the only one." Shikamaru smirked. His heart was beating so fast and he could hear his blood rushing in his ears but he kept on a fairly calm mask.

Neji seemed surprised by this.

"You're bisexual too?"

Shika nodded, sitting up.

"I am. Took me a while to figure it out, but yes."

A long, uncomfortable silence befell them, and Shikamaru stared down at the floor of the tent. Unsure where this was going but wanting it to continue, he asked,

"So what _are_ you looking for?"

Neji looked away and stared at the walls surrounding them, weighing his options on what to say.

"Someone I can be myself around, someone who I can have genuine, intellectual conversations with, someone like..."

"Me."

Shikmaru hadn't meant to say that. Not out loud. But as Neji stared at him, he realized... Maybe it hadn't been a mistake after all. He felt so drawn to the other man in this moment, like a magnet to a magnet.

"Like you." Neji said, lips parted as if he had more to say, but nothing came out.

Another silence, but this one wasn't uncomfortable. It was electric, it was exciting, it was... kind of scary for the both of them.

Neither of them knew who moved first, but soon they were both leaning forward, lips soon connecting. Shika's lips were slightky chapped but Neji's were smooth and soft and felt so perfect against his. Neji raised a hand and put it on the the back of the Nara's head, letting his fingers tread though his hair. Shikamaru somehow found his fist full of Neji's shirt, pulling him in closer, not ever wanting this kiss to end.

Eventually, though, all good things had to come to an end. They broke apart from one another, breathing hard and staring at each other like they had no idea what just happened. Because, well, they kind of didn't.

"Did you just...? Did _I_ just...?"

Shikamaru laughed a breathy laugh and nodded, "Yeah."

Blushing deeply, Neji cleared his throat. Shikamaru tapped on the floor with his fingertips, staring downwards. Had this been a mistake? He didn't think so. But... perhaps all they had done was gotten a taste of what they could never have. Shikamaru's heart was beating fast again, but his time it was out of anxiety.

"Do you regret it?" Neji asked suddenly, staring straight at his partner. Shikamaru stared at him for a long moment.

"No."

"Neither do I."

Neji leaned forward, pressing their lips together a second time, and this time, neither of them had any second thoughts. They made-out for a good 45 minutes before finally Shikamaru said,

"I don't want this to all be for nothing."

Neji sighed and looked away. He liked Shikamaru. Really, he did. He had always looked up to him for his intellect and damn was he good looking, especially with his hair down like it was. But how would the village react? How would their friends react?

"Let's... Let's just see where it goes. We don't have to tell anyone." Neji didn't want Shikamaru to think he was ashamed of this or of him, so he added, "Unless you want to."

Shikamaru considered it all. He had to look at it from a logical perspective. People knowing would be troublesome. They'd try to butt in with opinions and advice, and when they were on missions together everyone would think them distracted by one another.

No one needed to know. Not unless it all fell into place.

"Our little secret."


End file.
